Cliff moved to Kingston in 1962. After he released two singles that failed to make much of an impression, his career took off when his "Hurricane Hattie" became a hit, while he was aged just 14; it was produced by Leslie Kong, with whom Cliff would remain until Kong's death. Later local hit singles included "King of Kings", "Dearest Beverley" and "Pride and Passion". In 1964, Cliff was chosen as one of the Jamaican representatives at the World's Fair, and Cliff soon signed to Island Records and moved to Britain. Island initially (and unsuccessfully) tried to sell Cliff to the rock audience, but his career took off in the late 1960s. His international debut album was Hard Road to Travel, which received excellent reviews and included "Waterfall", a Brazilian hit that won the International Song Festival.
"Waterfall" was followed in 1969 by "Wonderful World, Beautiful People" and "Vietnam" in 1970, both popular throughout most of the world. Folk rock singer-songwriter Bob Dylan even called "Vietnam" the best protest song he'd ever heard. Wonderful World included a cover of Cat Stevens' "Wild World", which was a success in 1970.
Leslie Kong died of a heart attack in 1971. The soundtrack to the reggae film The Harder They Come was a huge success that sold well across the world, but did not break Cliff into the mainstream. After a series of albums, Cliff took a break and traveled to Africa, exploring his newfound Muslim spirituality. He quickly returned to music, touring for several years before he recorded with Kool & the Gang for Power & the Glory (1983). (During the 1981 River Tour, Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band added Cliff's little-known "Trapped" to their live set; it achieved great prominence when included on 1985's We Are the World benefit album.) The follow-up, Cliff Hanger (1985) won a Grammy Award, though it was his last major success in the U.S. until 1993. He continued to sell well in Jamaica and, to a lesser extent, the UK, returning to the mainstream pop charts in the U.S. and elsewhere with a version of Johnny Nash's "I Can See Clearly Now" on the Cool Runnings film soundtrack in 1993 .
In 2002, Cliff released his new album, Fantastic Plastic People in Europe, after first providing free downloads using Delacove's People Music Media p2p software. This album featured collaborations with Joe Strummer, Annie Lennox, and Sting as well as new songs that were very reminiscent of Cliff's original hits. In 2004 Cliff completely reworked the songs, dropping the traditional reggae in favor of an electronica sound, for inclusion in Black Magic.
Cliff has also covered the famous African song "The Lion Sleeps Tonight".
His recording of 'You Can Get It If You Really Want' was used as a campaign anthem by the Sandinista National Liberation Front in the 1990 election in Nicaragua (they lost). It was also adopted by the British Conservative Party during their annual conference in October, 2007. It is unclear whether Mr Cliff endorsed either party. He was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame March 15,2010.
I Want To Know
Jimmy Cliff Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Say, say, say do, do, do
Wanting, needing saying, praying
Dreaming, hoping waiting, playing
Won't get you what you want
If you keep saying you can't
Really in words and deeds
You've got to do it and when you do it
You will get through it
And you get through it, you say
I want, I do, I get i want, I do, I get
I want, I do, I get i want, I do, I get
And it is done thinking, planning
Wishing, longing crying, lying
Hesitating, procrastinating
Won't bring you sweet success
Won't bring you happiness
Won't bring you sweet caress
Won't bring you reprogress
You've got to do it and when you do it
You will get through it
And you get through it, you say
I want, I do, I get i want, I do, I get
I want, I do, I get i want, I do, I get
And it is done
Not enough to say, say, say
You got to do, do, do
It's not enough to say, say, say
Here's what you do, do, do
Not enough to say, say, say
It's all you do, do, do
Not enough to say, say, say
You've got to do, do, do
I want, I do, I get i want, I do, I get
I want, I do, I get
The lyrics to Jimmy Cliff's song "I Want to Know" convey a powerful message about the importance of action in achieving one's dreams and goals. The repeated phrases of "say, say, say do, do, do" highlight the distinction between merely voicing one's desires and actually taking concrete steps to make them a reality. The first stanza emphasizes the various ways in which people may express their aspirations, from hoping and dreaming to praying and playing, but notes that these alone will not be enough to attain success. The second stanza reinforces this idea, pointing out that thinking and planning, wishing and longing, and even crying and lying will not result in happiness or progress.
The chorus, "I want, I do, I get," crystallizes the central theme of the song. It underscores the importance of taking action and committing to the hard work necessary to achieve one's goals. The final stanza directly calls out those who may be content with only speaking their desires, urging them to realize that talk alone will not suffice. Instead, success requires active effort and the willingness to do what it takes to make one's dreams a reality. Overall, the message of "I Want to Know" is a powerful one that reminds us of the transformative power of action in our lives.
Line by Line Meaning
Say, say, say do, do, do
Expressing the act of wanting, needing, saying, and praying through repeated phrases.
Wanting, needing saying, praying
Listing the different ways of expressing desires and wants.
Dreaming, hoping waiting, playing
Listing the different emotions and states of being that come with expressing desires.
Won't get you what you want
If you keep saying you can't
Stating that expressing negative thoughts and doubts will not lead to fulfillment.
Won't get you what you need
Really in words and deeds
Asserting that only expressing desires through words and actions will bring true satisfaction.
You've got to do it and when you do it
You will get through it
And you get through it, you say
Encouraging taking action and persevering through obstacles to achieve success.
I want, I do, I get i want, I do, I get
I want, I do, I get i want, I do, I get
And it is done thinking, planning
Wishing, longing crying, lying
Hesitating, procrastinating
Reiterating the importance of taking action in order to attain one's desires and highlighting the negative consequences of not doing so.
Won't bring you sweet success
Won't bring you happiness
Won't bring you sweet caress
Won't bring you reprogress
Continuing to assert that expressing hopes and desires without taking action will not lead to positive results.
Not enough to say, say, say
You got to do, do, do
It's not enough to say, say, say
Here's what you do, do, do
Not enough to say, say, say
It's all you do, do, do
Not enough to say, say, say
You've got to do, do, do
Stressing the importance of taking action and doing, rather than just saying or hoping, in order to achieve one's desires.
I want, I do, I get i want, I do, I get
I want, I do, I get
Summarizing the main message of the song, that taking action is necessary to achieve one's desires.
Lyrics © CONCORD MUSIC PUBLISHING LLC
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@samuelkelly2197
I want to know (everybody wants to know)
I want to know (everybody wants to know)
I want to know (everybody wants to know)
Oh, I want to know (everybody wants to know, oh)
Who made the sun? Who made the moon?
Who made the stars? Who made the earth?
Who made the water? Who made the wind?
Who made the planets in this universe?
I want to know (everybody wants to know)
I want to know (everybody wants to know)
I want to know (everybody wants to know)
Oh, I want to know (everybody wants to know, oh)
I know man made the train, man made the plane
man made the guns, man made the bombs
man made the ships, man made the cars
man made the woman , but who made the man
I want to know (everybody wants to know)
I want to know (everybody wants to know)
I want to know (everybody wants to know)
Oh, I want to know (everybody wants to know, oh)
Heard a voice in the wilderness
Saying God made it all
God made man in His own likeness
Oh, so God, is man
Who made the grass? Who made the bees?
Who made the flowers? Who made the trees?
Who made the darkness? Who made the light?
Who made the laws of what's wrong and right?
I want to know (everybody wants to know)
I want to know (everybody wants to know)
I want to know (everybody wants to know)
Oh, I want to know (everybody wants to know, oh)
Well, now I know (everybody knows)
Well, now I know (everybody knows)
Yeah, now I know (everybody knows)
Oh, now I know (everybody knows)
I want to know (everybody wants to know, oh)
I want to know (everybody wants to know, oh)
I want to know (everybody wants to know, oh)
Oh, I want to know (everybody wants to know, oh)
Say now I know (everybody wants to know, oh)
The birds! The bees! The flowers!
I want to know (everybody wants to know, oh)
The trees! The sun! The moon!
I want to know (everybody wants to know, oh)
The stars! The earth! The planet!
The whole universe! Who made them all..
@samuelkelly2197
I want to know (everybody wants to know)
I want to know (everybody wants to know)
I want to know (everybody wants to know)
Oh, I want to know (everybody wants to know, oh)
Who made the sun? Who made the moon?
Who made the stars? Who made the earth?
Who made the water? Who made the wind?
Who made the planets in this universe?
I want to know (everybody wants to know)
I want to know (everybody wants to know)
I want to know (everybody wants to know)
Oh, I want to know (everybody wants to know, oh)
I know man made the train, man made the plane
man made the guns, man made the bombs
man made the ships, man made the cars
man made the woman , but who made the man
I want to know (everybody wants to know)
I want to know (everybody wants to know)
I want to know (everybody wants to know)
Oh, I want to know (everybody wants to know, oh)
Heard a voice in the wilderness
Saying God made it all
God made man in His own likeness
Oh, so God, is man
Who made the grass? Who made the bees?
Who made the flowers? Who made the trees?
Who made the darkness? Who made the light?
Who made the laws of what's wrong and right?
I want to know (everybody wants to know)
I want to know (everybody wants to know)
I want to know (everybody wants to know)
Oh, I want to know (everybody wants to know, oh)
Well, now I know (everybody knows)
Well, now I know (everybody knows)
Yeah, now I know (everybody knows)
Oh, now I know (everybody knows)
I want to know (everybody wants to know, oh)
I want to know (everybody wants to know, oh)
I want to know (everybody wants to know, oh)
Oh, I want to know (everybody wants to know, oh)
Say now I know (everybody wants to know, oh)
The birds! The bees! The flowers!
I want to know (everybody wants to know, oh)
The trees! The sun! The moon!
I want to know (everybody wants to know, oh)
The stars! The earth! The planet!
The whole universe! Who made them all..
@larryanderson9363
A legend, performing a legendary praise song..... God bless Jimmy Cliff!!
@basseybassey757
Praise?
@euchariaobidiegwu860
Bonvoyage my hero,I still remember you from my younger days back in 70s.
@chikeremmadidier543
All his music reminds me of my first
Man in my life.
Though he left me but I can now recall
And sends to him your songs and the feelings attached to it.
And my joy for understanding the wordings now that I didn't those years.
@exscil
His memory will live forever
@jimchintu8536
My Dad like Jimmy cliff from 1970s I will also do the same til shilow
@barthanikwenze370
I love it 😍
@sean4384
Man made the woman but who made the man? So deep... I grew up listening to this song, my mum's favourite...
God bless you Jimmy for blessing us with such a beautiful piece.
@yvettenisbett604
I know that most think that Bob Marley the best for me Jimmy Cliff was ,is and always will # 1 Growing up in England with jimmy was the best Years of my Life .Jimmy God Bless you for the Music that you gave to your fans all over the Wor.
@garyjonathan9931
Jimmy is also my favourite reggae singer